It's Been A While
by trulybliss08
Summary: Young!Conrad/Worth meet current Conrad/Worth in this tale of not so lost love. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all, so this is my new multi-chapter story. It's also my first Hanna is not a boy's name fic! The idea is fairly straight forward ... it's essentially just young!Conrad/Worth meets normal Conrad/Worth. There will be future slash but for now it's just set up. If you recognize the dialogue then you're paying attention! To try and keep it cannon I borrowed the lines straight from the comic. **

**Oh also, a big thank you to my love Kelty for giving this a good once over before I published it ;)**

**I do not own Hanna's not a boy's name!**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

It wasn't possible, this wasn't happening. I must have fallen down the stairs, hit my head and this is all some sort of twisted coma induced fantasy cause there is no way in hell this could really be happening to me. It was just a bat, albeit a rather large bat with a serious attitude problem but, a bat all the same.

What am I saying; bats don't have attitude problems. They don't even talk let alone turn into people who drag you out a window and on to the roof. Bats certainly don't have eyes so deep you get lost looking into them. And no, that's not supposed to be a metaphor for anything. I looked into that bitches shining eyes and for the life of me I couldn't look away even though every fiber in my being was screaming at me to run. I've seen horror movies! I know what happens when the beast takes you in their arms and holds you close, this isn't a romance movie.

Lord, what's wrong with me?

I can feel the pain or her teeth ripping my skin but, I can't seem to be bothered to do anything about it. I mean, yeah it hurts like a bitch but, somehow I know I've felt worse. After all, of all pains, the greatest pain is to love, and to love in vain.

Great, I'm quoting George Granville right before I die, way to play it off the cuff, Conrad. I guess if this is what dying is, it's not so bad. I mean, there aren't any of those cheesy flashbacks so that's a plus. I wouldn't want to have to see my life again. There is so much I would've done differently … far too many doctors.

Heh, I guess that's exactly how I would sum up the entirety of my life isn't it?

Too many doctors.

First it was just my mother "protecting" me. She would take me in to get any and every vaccination that was available. Why a six year old who isn't even allowed onto the balcony of his apartment would need a malaria shot is still beyond me.

When she started to worry I was going to get sick I was given pills. Fun fact, most kids have trouble swallowing pills but, not me, my mother wouldn't stand for that. She sat me on the bathroom counter, put the pill on my tongue, held my mouth closed and demanded that I swallow.

When she started to think I was just sick in the head I was given the real stuff. Pills to make me happy and pills to keep my quiet, there were pills to stop mood swings, pills to make me pay attention, pills to keep me awake and pills to help me sleep. Eventually I lost track of everything that was supposedly wrong with me and what was just side-effects of the stuff trying to help.

That's when it became a problem of my own. I didn't know how to function without the pills. I was a flat out awkward kid who grew into an awkward teen. I didn't have friends and not just cause I didn't know how to interact with people. No, my mother didn't approve of prolonged exposure to any one person for too long, you have no idea what they could do to you. No, the only people I saw on a regular basis aside from her and my teachers was my therapist – another doctor.

Of course then there was _him_ …

But, I don't want to think about him in my final moments, he would enjoy that too much. I don't want to think about what happened, what he did. And I certainly don't want to think about how I haven't been able to keep a doctor since.

He was my first, my last, my everything … wonderful, now I'm quoting Barry White.

The funny thing is, I guess I always thought I was gonna end up seeing him at least one more time before this happened. No not the getting killed by something that shouldn't exist outside nightmares part, the dying part. I think I thought it was gonna be kinda like in the movies … we would pass on the street, he would turn to me and call my name. We would shuffle through an awkward conversation, he wouldn't have changed much but I have. And when we would part ways, confidant of the fact that we would never see each other again, he would have to accept the bitter sweet truth that I was doing just fine without him.

And I was too. My life was just really starting to come together, and then this happened. Oh well, it's probably for the best anyway. I mean, at least it wasn't that kid, he looked like he had enough on his plate without being dragged into all this.

I hope he doesn't blame himself for this … I mean, honestly with my luck I really should've expected it. Then again, I doubt someone more professional would've locked themselves in a room with a murderous bat.

No, someone more professional wouldn't have consented to turning said bat human either. They also wouldn't have needed a zombie and a helpless victim of circumstances to save them from the now human bat bitch. Now that I think about it, this all is really that stupid kid's fault isn't it? I can practically hear him apologizing now …

"I'm sorry, this was all pretty avoidable wasn't it?" wait, that _was _the kid wasn't it? It sounded really far away but, I'm sure that was him … was he apologizing? Damn right he should apologize! Stupid kid got me killed! In fact, I wish I wasn't dying just so I could punch the kid right in the face!

Wait, why does my hand kind of hurt now … I can feel my hand … and my head. It feels kinda like the whole world is spinning, and as I crack open my eyes I can see that damned kid covered in blood looking up at me.

"Why do I feel like a car hit me and backed up again? … and that it's your fault somehow?"

"IT IS! But you're back, oh God. YES!" The little red head screamed as he flung himself at me "I'm so sorry." He whispered into my chest. I could practically feel him shaking as he clung to my shoulders and it was hard not to want to forgive him after that.

However, my near death experience hadn't cured me of my aversion to being touched. I patted Hanna on the back twice before gently pushing him away. He didn't seem to mind so much before he glanced up at sheepish grin in place and blurted out: "Also ummm, you're a vampire now."

"WHAT?" now I had heard some pretty tacky things in my life but you don't tell a man who just very nearly died that he was now a member of the living dead, that's just uncalled for.

"S-sorry…" Hanna mumbled reaching out a hand to touch me again but, I caught him wrist before he could. I wish he would stop doing that. I never understood what pleasure people got out of being touched by strangers.

Now the Zombie guy was talking, had he been here the whole time? No, you know what, it doesn't matter, none of this matters cause the bat is gone and I can be rid of this red headed ball of disaster. That sounded like a great plan, just get up and be done with all this lunacy.

"But, she'll probably be back. Especially since umm … She's you're sire now." Hanna was talking to me but it didn't matter, I just needed to get the hell out of here.

"Pfeh." Picking up my fallen glasses and standing up I put on my best superior attitude, the one I learned from my mother. "There's no way I can be a vampire. I still feel like shit and you don't seem … WHOA" I trailed off as the world spun around me and I fell backwards into what was once, I'm sure, a warm body. A cold hand held my shoulder firmly until the ground stopped moving "… appetizing at all. Thanks mister zuh-zombie? Is that your name?" I finished meekly, casting a grateful glace at the greenish man behind me.

"He doesn't remember his name." Hanna offered, not phased a second by my attitude, which almost bothered me, it may not look like it but it takes effort to come off so condescending. "Look, not to press the issue, but you really should eat. Yanno, blood."

Blood? You mean like the stuff your coated in? If I wasn't sure before, I'm sure now. This kid is completely off his rocker.

"Ugh. What smells dead?" I asked as a light breeze swept past us taking with it a putrid rotten stench.

"Stop changing the subject." But, the thing was I wasn't really trying to change the subject this time, something really smelled like it was decomposing, and I was fairly certain it wasn't the corpse standing next to me … or at least for his sake I hope it wasn't.

"Is that you?" I cried glaring at the kid standing before me. Why on earth would he smell like that?

"It must be because I use magic ittaintsmybloodbutANYWAYS!" Hanna shot back at me in a jumbled mess, his face momentarily twisting in irritation. It was strange to see such unpleasantness upon the boy's face, I hadn't realized until now that Hanna had done nothing but smile ever since I met him. But as quickly as it came it was gone and I found myself almost grateful.

"Let's go get you some food!" He shouted

"I hope you mean a Burg-" But before I could even finish my response Hanna lunged at me and grabbed my wrist pulling me along behind him with strength I wouldn't have thought possible of him. "AHHHH STOP TOUCHING ME!" Seriously, could the kid not take a hint?

I. DON'T. LIKE. TO. BE. TOUCHED!

Much against my will I found myself being lead down empty street after empty street Hanna bounding ahead of me and the zombie trailing behind. It almost reminded me of my senior year in High school when _he _would constantly try to drag me out of my comfort zone. "Don be such a puss." He would growl at me before catching my arm in a death grip and dragging me along with him to some seedy club where he would drink like it was going out of style and leave me to worry about how either of us were going to make it home in one piece.

I was brought out of my brief respite as Hanna turned us down yet another dark alley. Where on earth was he taking us? Surely he had just been joking earlier, he couldn't seriously expect me to want to … drink blood.

The thought alone sent a chill running down my spine to settle in the pit of my stomach, my very empty stomach. Ok, maybe the kid had a point. How had I not noticed until now how hungry I was? When was the last time I ate? I guess it doesn't really matter, I doubt there are any decent restaurants open at this hour anyway, then again, what decent restaurant would serve two men covered in blood and their undead counterpart who was currently missing an arm?

"Where are we going Hanna?" My voice, luckily, not betraying my current level of unease.

"It's just down this way a little farther." He called back at me over his shoulder with, dare I say, a smile in his voice. The little shit.

"What? This looks like a dead end alley. I have to admit that I'm not very comfortable with where this is going." Suddenly the reality of Hanna's earlier comments sunk in. If he was serious about getting me blood, where did he plan on getting it from? It's not like we could just waltz into a hospital and ask for a bag of O negative. And while I can't imagine this little kid ever hurting anyone on purpose, the fear that that's exactly what he had planned was beginning to sink heavily in the pit of my very empty stomach.

"Don't worry! I'm taking you to a Doctor first. Ok, well. He's not really technically a Doctor. He's actually a drop-out. Aaaaaaand he's not certified or anything, but he's not too bad! Heh."

Oh, hell no! I stopped dead and dug my heels into the ground trying to force Hanna to stop since he seemed to refuse to let me go.

"Whu-what's wrong?" Hanna asked, genuine confusion etched on his face.

"The fact that you must ask makes it even worse …" I ground out glaring at him.

"Look, he's really not that bad most of the time, you'll see." Hanna supplied in way of an answer before pushing open the nearest door, poking his head through the crack and calling out "Worth! You here? You're always here."

My heart stopped dead. It couldn't be.

**...**

**So? Leave a review and lemme know what you think! Also keep an eye out for chapter 2 and as always, thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so so sorry for such a long wait, I had meant to write this a long time ago, but you know how life can get. Anyway here's chapter 2 ...**

**Enjoy!**

**oh and I don't own blah blah blah**

**...**

No. No. No. No. No. No. No! It can't be, it just can't. Not tonight, please whatever power is willing to listen, don't let this happen to me tonight.

"Hanna! Beat up 'gain I see. I missed ya!" Laughed a raspy voice on the other side of the thick metal door. I wanted to die. I wanted to curl up in a ball here on the filthy ground and just die.

"Errr, I missed you too. Big favor to ask though, my friend needs to eat and-"

"What?" The sickeningly familiar voice cut him off.

I still had time to run if only Hanna would fucking LET ME GO! But no, he clung to my wrist in that impossible death grip of his as the voice rasped on. "Eat? I'm not a fucking Micky Dees, Hanna, I'm a busy man and dah-" Then Hanna did the last thing in the world I wanted him to do. He swung the door open.

All in all there wasn't much to take in. The room was small and dirty and filled with a sickening cloud of smoke that now seeped out into the damp night, a few file cabinets stood against the far wall behind a rusty metal desk that looked as if it was held together with more duct tape then screws. Next to the desk sat what I can only assume was at one time a large potted plant. Unfortunately, all that remained of the thing was a sad stick poking up at out the dry earth with a handful of browning leaves still clinging desperately to the dying branches.

I had wanted to believe that this was all just some strange coincidence; I mean the chances of me seeing him here of all places were slim to none. Besides, I thought that after everything that had happened to me tonight the universe would give me at least one free pass. But fate was a cruel bitch laughing at me laying flat on my back while she pressed her 6 inch stiletto down on my chest and told me to take it.

There, behind the desk, reclining in his chair sat the last man on earth I wanted to see tonight. The last man I wanted to see ever. Luce Worth.

He was obviously older now and time had not been kind. His skin had taken on an almost leathered appearance due to what I can only assume was thanks to a combination of age, alcohol and cigarette smoke. I had always hated his smoking, no that's a lie, I had always wanted to hate his smoking.

"SHIT!" he cried out leaning forward, lit cigarette dangling limp but not forgotten from his lips. As a small cloud left his lips and curled up into the air I remembered how I used to love to just watch him smoke.

I remember sitting in his tiny dingy apartment, we were both supposed to be studying. He was hunched over a text on the vascular system while I had a math book lying open across my lap. Not that it mattered, I wasn't even trying to study. No, I was far too wrapped up in watching as a line of silvery smoke seeped past thin lips to curl and rise into the air.

My mother had a nose like a drug dog and I couldn't risk her getting too curious about where I had been spending all my free time. All the same, any attempts to ask Luce to stop were half heated at best.

"Wuz the matter kid, is me smoking upsetting your delicate sensibilities?" his voice rang out in the tiny apartment. I lifted my gaze reluctantly from his lips to his eyes, now ablaze with mockery.

"If I go home smelling like smoke my mother is going to start wondering where I've been spending my time. She'll start asking questions and actually paying attention to me which means we won't be able to do what ever this is anymore." My painfully adolescent voice rang. I didn't want to say it, to draw attention to the fact that we shouldn't be doing this. But, if it were to continue, and Lord knows I wanted it to, then certain steps needed to be made.

Luce looked me in the eye, his face infuriatingly blank of emotion. As he lifted the cigarette to his lips and drew in another breathe of toxic air deep into his lungs I had to wonder momentarily if that's what he wanted. Maybe he doesn't like having me around as much as I thought he did. And just as that idea started to sink deep into my stomach like a lead weight Luce reached past me and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table behind me.

"Can't have that now can we?"

He never did truly stop. But, he did smoke less, when he was around me. It was both endearing and disappointing.

Maybe he recognized me. Maybe it was my appearance, bone white and covered in still bleeding cuts with my designer polo now a mess of tattered rags clinging to me by sheer force of will. But, more likely it was the green guy behind me holding his own arm that caused the man previously lounging behind the desk to say what he did next. "They're dead, Christ Hanna. You killed them."

"I-I did not." Was Hanna's meek reply as he ushered us into the dingy pseudo office and let the heavy metal door swing closed behind us further baring my exit from this nightmare.

I should have expected what happened next. The Luce of my memories had never been a kind or caring man, why should I think he'd changed? No, true to form Luce threw his head back and laughed.

"OOH OH! You gone rouge on me now? A necromancer! Hanna. How unlike you."

Hanna's shoulders visibly slumped at that and something inside of me bristled. I didn't have much time to think through this next decision, but it's not like I could just leave the poor kid to flounder. I mean, I'm sure he meant well despite failing miserably. So I did just like my mama taught me and got abrasive.

Back straight and fists clenched I marched right up to the dirty old fool and jabbed him right in the chest with my finger

"Let's get this straight who ever you are. I am not dead."

**...**

**Well what do you think? Thank you for R&R! 33**


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